Langer still on course

Bernhard Langer demonstrated his determination not to let the Ryder Cup captaincy finish his career in the Scandinavian Masters today.

Langer was confirmed as the successor to Sam Torrance as European skipper last week after 10 appearances as a player, one short of Nick Faldo’s all-time record.

The veteran German also intends following Torrance onto the lucrative Seniors Tour in America, but only after remaining competitive for a few years to come on the main tours in Europe and the United States.

And the 45-year-old was certainly not looking out of place this morning in Malmo as he began his quest for the €320,545 first prize and a 43rd European Tour title.

Starting on the 10th, Langer immediately opened with a birdie on one of the three holes alongside the stretch of water separating Malmo from nearby Denmark, which will host its first tour event next week.

A bogey on the next, a tough-par three measuring 219 yards, dropped Langer back to level par – but as the course returned to its more usual tree-lined layout, he birdied the par five 12th to get back into red figures.

Langer bogeyed the 14th and could only par the par-five 16th, missing from six feet for birdie after a superb pitch over a greenside bunker.

The double US Masters champion then had the sizeable crowds ducking for cover when he pulled his tee shot on the 17th into the trees, but after punching out into a greenside bunker, and then splashing out to within two feet of the pin to save par.

Better still was to come on the 18th as Langer holed from 30 feet across the green for birdie after playing partner Graeme McDowell, who won the event last year in only his fourth tour tournament, had holed from a bunker for his birdie.

Langer had spoken yesterday of his determination not to let the Ryder Cup dominate his life to the detriment of his playing career.

“It’s going to be maybe stressful the last few weeks closer to the Ryder Cup but I don’t think it will take up 50% of my time in the next 10 months. I’m not going to let that happen,” he said.

“If I am healthy and still enjoying my game I plan to play on the Seniors Tour so this is not the end of my career. I had a very good year in 2001, a very good last four or five months last year so I think there is still some life left in this body.

“I haven’t been playing great this year but I’m not planning to quit my career. I love golf, I love to compete and I look forward to the Seniors Tour.”

Four pars on the front nine were followed by a birdie at the par five fifth and at two under par Langer was only two off the lead held by Swede Mathias Gronberg and Holland’s Maarten Lafeber.

Lafeber had gone to the turn in 33 and also birdied the 10th while Gronberg, playing in the match in front of Langer, was out in 34 and picked up further shots on the second and third.